One Step At A Time
by Winter Sapphire
Summary: All she wanted was for her parents to see her, but maybe that was a dream not worth waiting for... Toph x Sokka friendship, implied romance.


**Author's Note**: Haha, it's been a while since I've updated anything. nn; I apologize.Hopefully this'll suffice for the Tokka anf Avatar fans out there. I promise to my other readers I'll update my other works a.s.a.p.

Anyway, this is a fanfiction I wrote for WinnieBeatles' competition on DA. I based it off of her fanart "Stone Path in the Stream," which is a really beautiful piece.

I hope you all enjoy it! Comments and crits are loved!

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**One Step At A Time**

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Toph could feel the night; the denser and cooler air approached, the enveloping silence and seclusion started pressing all around her like a comforting thick blanket. It was nice to be away from the suffocating lifestyle of her home.

She had returned to the Bei Fong Estate two days earlier with her friends and her parents hadn't wasted any time at all in dolling her up again like she was a small, fragile porcelain doll. After all, she was blind. There was no way at all she could possibly make decisions for herself.

Toph grumbled to herself in frustration. As happy as she was to see her parents again Toph just wished they could see past her tiny body and handicap and notice _her_, Toph, the Greatest Earthbender in the World. The Blind Bandit. The Runaway. Those were who she was.

Why couldn't they accept that?

Toph sighed as she leaned against a tree in the courtyard, tugging hopelessly at the sleeves of the getup her parents had forced her into that evening.

"Stupid dress," she growled, grasping the fabric tighter. She stomped on the ground, kicking the shoes off of her feet, "Stupid, stupid shoes." She planted her bare feet firmly on the dirt, wiggling her toes in the dust. "Much better." She frowned as she pulled at the dress again experimentally, "Now for this thing. I wish I could just-" Toph cut herself off, her head snapping up and her blind gaze drifting to the side, "Snoozles?"

She sensed as the wolf warrior sauntered clumsily towards her, heavy on his feet, and she could just imagine the goofy grin on his face as he spoke, "Hey, Toph. What'cha doin' out here all alone?"

Toph flinched slightly at the question. She knew he meant no harm; he didn't sound condescending at all, just curious. Yet with a flash of stubborn pride Toph turned away, folding her arms over her chest as she responded snappishly, "I'm fine out here on my own. I don't _need_ anyone."

Sokka's eyes blinked drearily a few time in surprised confusion as he drew back slightly. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and anxiously, "Uh, I was just going to offer you some company for... well... company's sake, I guess, but..." he trailed off as he started to slink away back to the mansion, trying and failing to be subtle, "... maybe I had better..." Toph had sensed his movements instantly and in a sudden burst of unexpected panic had reached out and grabbed a piece of his tunic in her fist to halt him in his escape.

"No!"

The silence of the twilight intensified abruptly, the outburst surprising them both. Toph's eyes widened as she realized what she had done and she instantly retracted her hand back, pressing it against her chest as a surprised blush crossed over her face. Sokka's jaw fell slack for a second before he pulled it shut again, words unable to come to his mind. "Um."

Toph recovered before Sokka could gather his mind back to him, shaking her head and clearing her thoughts before she balled his hand up into a fist and whacked him, hard, on the shoulder. "Idiot."

"_Owww!_" Sokka clutched at his shoulder tightly, exaggerating the pain, "What was that for?"

"Because," Toph scoffed, "you're an idiot. I said I don't _need_ anyone – I don't need anyone to depend on. I don't know if you've noticed, but I am pretty good at looking after myself."

"Toph," Sokka shook his head, "Toph, just how many times did you save my butt in the war? You think you don't know that?" Toph felt him shift ever-so-slightly towards her, his hand suddenly coming up to rest on her shoulder lightly. "It's about your parents, isn't it?"

Toph couldn't have hide her frustration even if she wanted to; a small tremor passed through the ground in the center of the courtyard as Toph flailed her arms in frustration and hurt, "It wasn't even a _minute_ before they had the servants change me into '_suitable clothing_.' No 'hey, nice to see you again, Toph' or 'we missed you, Toph' – heck, I would have been happy with a 'where have you been, young lady? You're grounded until next year!'" Toph's voice grew shrill but not loud as she ranted, her eyes glistening at the corners with tears she refused to shed, "Just 'get her out of those clothes.'"

Sokka didn't move or respond to Toph for a while; he just stood there, watching as her hair fell in her face and her body trembled with suppressed fury and hurt. And then, without saying a word, he took a deep breath and grasped her hand in his, gently tugging at it as he silently insisted that she follow him.

Toph blinked, first in surprise at his lack of speak, then at the fact that he was pulling her by the hand. _Her_, Toph.

"Sokka...?" her voice squeaked slightly as she gawked and stumbled in surprise as they began walking, unsure what to make of the situation, "Snoozles, what are you-"

"I found something when I was exploring the other day, and I want you to see it too."

"Sokka, I'm—"

"Blind, I know. Just trust me, Toph."

There was something about the urgency in his voice that kept her from retaliating again. She nodded mutely, allowing the wolf warrior to lead her through the grounds of her home, curious as to his destination. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion as she noticed something... odd. Unfamiliar. It almost seemed as if the world in front of her was disappearing from her senses, just like when...

"Oh, no. _Sokka_. Where are you taking me?" Toph fought to keep her voice calm. She had always known there was a body of water of some sort on her land, but she had never ventured near it. Her hand tightened its grip on his on instinct.

Sokka's voice was carefully controlled as he turned towards her, not even bothering to stop in his walking, "Toph, just trust me. You'll be fine."

Even though he sounded so... odd, being this quiet, Toph knew Sokka wasn't lying. He meant every word with so much confidence that it automatically made her relax and she conceded, "Okay. But," she pointed an accusing finger at him as they walked, "if I die I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life."

Sokka laughed lightly as he came to a sudden stop. "I'll remember that." He fell silent again, tugging again at her hand, "Toph, do you see what I see?"

Toph blinked – twice. "No, Sokka, I do not 'see what you see.'" She scowled slightly, pulling her hand away, "Unless you see with your feet, which I highly-"

She cut herself off with a small shriek as Sokka suddenly bolted forward, his hand clutching hers again tightly as he pulled her closer, picking her up for a brief moment before setting her on the point of a small stone.

Toph's eyes were wide, her face flushed in a combination of anger and embarrassment and fear as she clutched tighter onto Sokka's hand, the only connection she could sense him with. The feeling of not being able to see exploded from its bottle as she tottered on the single stone, her face stricken.

"Sokka- what- where..." Her voice cracked slightly as she fought to regain her footing, "What are you doing?"

"I found this place when I was exploring the ground yesterdays," Sokka told her, as he urged her forward, "The stream's not deep, and there's an odd little path of stones cutting through it. We need to get to the other side before it happens."

"Before _what_ happens?" Toph fought to keep the panic from her voice, "Sokka, I just want to go back. Let's just go back."

"No," Sokka urged her forward, "No, this is something you have to experience. Just trust me. Take another step forward."

Toph bit her lip gently, hesitantly and unwillingly taking another step forward. She lowered her foot slowly, almost as if she were afraid that she was surrounded by a raging current that would carry her off as soon as she touched it.

Then, when Toph found her foot resting on yet another piece of earth, she realized how stupid she was being. For what reason would Sokka lead her into danger? Toph shook her head, mentally berating herself. Stupid.

"Toph?" Sokka's voice brought her back to reality, "Are you okay?"

Toph snorted slightly, shaking off whatever had come over here, "Of course I am. Let's just get to the other side of this stupid thing."

"Deal."

It didn't take long to reach the other side, and as Sokka had promised each time she stepped she hit rock. When her feet touched the dirt, again, however, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She patted her clothes off by instinct, crossing her arms over her chest and blowing some annoying strand of hair she felt dangling in front of her face.

"So? What was the big thing?"

"Hold out your hands." The demand was surprising to say the least. Toph blinked slowly, contemplating, before she moved her hands out to form a sort of cup. Sokka scrutinized her closely for a second before adding, "Close your eyes."

Toph bit back an exasperated growl, "Sokka, I'm-"

"I know! Just do it!" The growl couldn't be held back again as Toph squeezed her eyes shut. Sokka watched her for a second, contemplating, before he shrugged. "Okay, good. Now hang on."

She felt him moving, slowly, sneakily, around the sort of mini-island they were on and she frowned in confusion, "Sokka, what're you-"

"Shhhh!" The water tribe boy shushed her, pausing for a split second before he leaped, "Aha! Got one! Okay." She felt him scamper back towards her, and the next thing she knew he was pressing his hands over hers'.

Normally, Toph might've blushed at the gesture. She probably would have, had it not been for tiny thumps that crashed into her hands and the six little legs crawling over her skin.

She might've blushed, but instead she shrieked.

"Gyaaaah! What is that?!"

Sokka laughed jovially, his smile widening into a grin, "Stop freaking for a minute, Toph, and feel it like you do people. What do you see?"

Toph shut her mouth, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise (how often had he surprised her that night? She didn't even know). She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, following Sokka's advice to feel the insect's life.

"It's..." Toph opened her eyes slowly, mouth agape, "It's pulsing.. like... I don't know... What _is_ it?"

"It's a firefly." She could feel Sokka's grin, "I know you can't see it, but I hoped you might be able to feel its butt lighting up."

Toph couldn't help to grin at that as she felt the pulse again, feeling its _buttlight_ (she chuckled at that) radiating, "So that's what that is. That's great." Her grin trailed off into a frown suddenly as she turned towards him again, "Now why did you want to show me these stupid bugs?"

"Well," Sokka lifted his hands from her's, and the firefly flitted away, "Their lights aren't always on, so people can't always see them. But we always know they're there. Just sometimes people are blind to them."

Toph's blind eyes stared at him in confusion, "Sokka, you're scaring me. Go stick your face in the stream and then say that again."

Sokka rolled his eyes, "Toph! I'm saying your parents are bli-"

"Watch it."

"You know what I mean," Sokka growled slightly, "Your parents just haven't seen you yet, but they will. You'll glow so brightly that your light will never go out to them."

"You're really scaring me, Sokka," Toph stated bluntly before punching him lightly in the shoulder, her head bowed down slightly, "... Thanks."

"Hey, what are friends for?" He patted her shoulder lightly and moved away slightly, grabbing her hand once more, "Now, are you gonna be scared to cross the stream again, Miss Toph Bei Fong?"

"Never call me that again," Toph snapped jokingly as she shook her head 'no.' Without a moment's notice, Sokka took off towards the stream in a sprint and she followed behind, her feet finding the stones again easily, and as she followed behind her best friend a hopeful smile on her face.

After all, she figured, everything is done with one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

**FIN**


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